It’s Saturday Open Forum! Garry Kasparov was arrested in Moscow. The European Championship in Dresden is coming to an end. The USCF election is kicking to another gear. Anand is raising money for his charity. Kamsky won Foxwoods in Blitz playoff. What would you like to talk about?
The forum is yours!
Chess Daily News from Susan Polgar
I saw a funny video on youtube featuring Bart Simpson giving a chess simul (video link). I don’t think Grandmaster Susan Polgar’s simul world record is in jeopardy! (lol) Have a fun weekend!
There’s an important statement from the USCF President on my blog today. It is a fact-based essay on the state of the USCF particularly in the area of finances and services that it provides.
I agree with Susan that we ought to approach politics like chess. We need to get the facts and then analyze them. While the facts are presented from the current administration’s point of view, we need to (1) know the basic facts and (2) analyze them correctly.
I support Susan Polgar and her entire team. That does not preclude me from getting the facts from authoritative sources and pondering their analysis of them. Just like an annotated chess game.
I urge my fellow Polgar supporters to adopt this same approach to the USCF elections.
Jack
jacklemoine.blogspot.com
P.S. I also have an article in the works from an authoritative source that looks at the financial picture from an opposing point of view.
dear GM Susan Polgar, i’m very curious about YOUR analysis of the “very complicated endgame”. is it unpolite to ask you to bite the bullet and to share it with us?
with all respect,
your Vohaul
(usually i’m not that impatient, but, despite the upcoming USCF elections, Mr. Kasparovs birthday problems, Gata Kamsky’s overwhelming Foxwood triumph, the intoxicating european chess championship and some other exceeding chess and non chess events around the entire world, i’m simply an elderly chess player, interested in endgames and endgame studies … and i’m in need of an answer… please, please excuse!)
Here Frazier loses a game of chess by being surprised with the Panov-Botvinik Attack! In three parts:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y8TZcmy1Gbc
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cZ71kM_O_vc
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7_l4LAbbZu8
Who won the joke contest ?
Free Kasparov!
Russia is governed by a Fascist regime!
I do not know how they managed to go from one extreme to another.
Rastamann.
MOSCOW (AP) – Russian opposition leader Garry Kasparov, the former world chess champion, was detained by police Saturday as supporters of his organization tried to hold a forbidden protest march in central Moscow.
An Associated Press photographer saw Kasparov inside a police van, waving and smiling to journalists clustered outside on the edge of Pushkin Square.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,,-6557153,00.html
I notice that a picture of GK being hauled off by the Russian police is on the front page of the New York Times.
Susan, I would like to talk about your recent absence from posting on the USCF Issues forum. I saw that you received a 24 hour sanction for violating the acceptable usage guidelines well over a week ago. Someone said that you wanted your account there deleted and that you would never post on the USCF forums again. Did you think that your violation of the acceptable usage guidelines was incorrect? I enjoyed reading your comments on those forums and wish you would return. Do you think you would change the way the Forum Oversight Committee works if you are elected to the USCF Executive Board?
Is is true that Garry Kasparov won the joke contest?
IM Raul Ocampo says: The Susan Polgar Chess Blog is the best blog in the world, She makes a very honest work and like many others, I support Susan Polgar and her entire team. When one thinks in the problems of Chess World, her words reconcilied with the chess family.
Garry Kasparov – was arrested today in Moscow:
http://today.reuters.com/news/articlenews.aspx?type=topNews&storyid=2007-04-14T185508Z_01_L14446959_RTRUKOC_0_US-RUSSIA-PROTEST.xml
Random chess marketing ideas for
the United States:
1) Susan should explore ideas such
as, but not limited to, going on
shows such as Jim Rome. Jim’s
hard-hitting, sometimes controver-
sial style is usually an attention-
getter with his radio listeners and TV viewers.
2) Find out as many reasons why
chess is more popular and well-
respected in Europe than in our
country and seek to replicate
those successes.
3) Have a national championship
chess tournament for class players, experts, masters, GM’s every year, which is patterned after the NCAA basketball tournament. Have about 12-13 states represented in each of
four regionals, have each regional
champion advance to the Final 4, and rotate the Final 4 site each year to determine the new national champion. Secure corporate sponsors for this tournament and make it much more lucrative and prestigious than our current U.S. championships.
4) Greatly increase the amount of
girls and women playing the game.
This will indirectly increase the
amount of boys and men, in my opinion, playing chess too.
5) Gimmicks, such as going to
famous places, to promote chess.
Examples: Play a game of chess
at Disney World’s castle dressed up as one of your favorite characters. Play chess on top of
the Empire State Building.
Thinking outside the box, no matter how silly the idea may sound, builds awareness of our great sport.
On Garry Kasparov:
It is very easy from USA or western Europe to say:” Wow,Kasparov is fighting for the freedom in Russia”.
Is that basicly true?
Ok,Putin is a former KGB member and he is now russian president because he was very close to Boris Yeltsin(the first russian president)and took the power when he had a chance.
But if nobody remember it,Putin was time ago our(the democratic countries) GOOD SOLUTION,because the other options were:
1)The return of the communists
2)The rise of the russian nationalists.They want to rebuild the old empire
3)The fight for the power between the russian oil multi-millionaires and the lost of a central organization in Russia.
The three options are possible yet if Putin quits because the numbers of democratic people in Russia are not a lot and the Kasparov´s party “Another Russia” lacks of popular support.
And now a question: Do you prefer a not full democratic,but friendly Russia-with Putin- or a dangerous and chaotic Russia controlled by the communists or the nationalists(the two main parties)?
If you are not old enought to remember the “cold war” times then think your answer twice.
Russia will be a full democracy with more time,but at the moment we cannot ask for something better.
Kasparov and his people are a minority and they can control nothing:they are not an option because nobody support them!.With their moves are not helping to Russia or the rest of the world.
Live in the reality,not in Disneyworld!
Susan,
My advice is to stay away from the USCF Forums. You were definitely treated terribly unfairly with a one day ban. The Forums are out of control. The most nasty people sit there waiting to attack. Nothing good can come out of posting at the Forums.
You have a lot of supporters at the Forums, but those who speak up to try to defend you are immediately attacked. The Forums are a No Win Situation.
Until the new elections occur the forums are probably controlled by Sam Sloan. It was not a fair ban!
Hi, Susan –
I’m wondering about how other kids feel when they play your kids. I know you preach playing the board, not the opponent, but this is very tough to do.
I can think of three kinds of reactions they might have to being paired against a Polgar:
1) They’ve never heard of the Polgars, so it’s just another game.
2) They’re intimidated at the thought of playing a Polgar, and play worse than they normally do.
3) They’re excited at the chance to score a victory against a Polgar, and put everything they have into the game.
Do you see any of these reactions, and with what frequency? Any other reactions? Are your kids aware of any special treatment from their opponents, due to their last name?
Anyway, thanks for the great blog.
Cheers,
Andrew Schechter
oh yeah. Garry got detained for one hour by the all-time cruelst regime and got fined $40. What a martirdom!
It’s time for Garry to get a life.
Great players dominate the game, smartest players break the game. I dream of Russian game being broken, but Garry is unable to do the job. He is not a politician, he just thinks he is.
Thanx Susan for all you do for us in this blogspot of yours, a daily read for me now. I also support your team for USCF elections and have informed everyone I know to vote for your squad!
And give Vohual the answer he seeks! I always enjoy his analysis and hope you help him.
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I was wondering what your thoughts are on the current rule that a club director must apply, pass a test, and become a local director within three years, otherwise s/he loses the ability to be a club director?
This seems to be a short sighted rule. It is hard enough to find people who will direct any tournaments. Why eliminate anyone for anything other than impropriaty or incompetence?
In order to encourage more members to become tournament directors, I have now started a policy that entry in any tournament I run will be free for any person who holds a current TD card and has at least directed one tournament within the last 12 months.
Do you or anyone else have good ideas to encourage more members in becoming TDs?